There are thousands of books on selling and many more that come out each year.  Every now and then a really good one will surface that is worth not only reading, but keeping as a reference.  Rarely does a really great book hit the store shelves that make such an impact on business as well as personal lives like the book I am going to highlight today:  Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold over 15 million copies and many of the principles taught in this book form the foundation for thousands of other books on selling.  It is touted by some as the most influential business book of the twentieth century.  Carnegie wrote this book in 1936, but its timely message continues to inspire and guide business leaders worldwide.

Here are three major categories addressed by this legendary author along with key points that can help you win friends and win sales:

Building Relationships:

Not only do experts agree, but it is common sense that the only long-lasting method of selling is to build relationships.  These key points work even if you only have a few minutes with a prospect as in a retail sales floor situation.

• Become genuinely interested in the other person.  No false flattery here.
• Be a good listener and encourage the other person to talk.
• Make the other person feel important

Key Point: Relationship building begins with looking at other’s needs, comforts, and feelings first.

How to Interest People:

Carnegie says that if you want to build a real bond with someone else, make it clear how important that person is to you and do it in a way that the sincerity of the feeling comes through.  One great way to do this is providing an introduction for that person to another person with similar interests.  This begins with first listening for clues from the other person about their interests.  When you discover what that is, follow that point as a train of conversation to get the person to reveal more about their likes and dislikes.

Key Point: Once you spend energy providing something of value in line with the other person’s interest, they in turn become interested in you and what you have to offer.

The Art of Persuasion:

When it comes to persuading others to your way of thinking or buying your product or service, it is always best to let the idea or final decision come from him or her.  It seems so obvious, but too often we try to make our case or argue our point to persuade others and that usually doesn’t work.  Instead, follow these steps to get the other person to see your side or buy from you:

• Avoid arguments.
• Try to see the other person’s view or walk in their shoes.
• Ask the prospect what they think about the issue--- then shut up and listen.
• Incorporate your idea into a story.

Key Point: Persuasion is an art so practice it daily.  Critique your sales pitches and make adjustments as you go that allow the other person to save face and make the final decision.

While this blog posting is supposed to save you time by giving you the most important snippets of a book, I highly recommend that you set a goal to read How to Win Friends and Influence People at least within the next ten or twenty years (goals should be obtainable), and keep it on your bookshelf for future reference.  It is a timeless classic that keeps on giving out words of wisdom to those who will listen.